Investors in every class from angels to great big companies are turning off clean energy companies and projects. But there is a class of cleantech firms that hasn't lost its luster—namely, those companies that combine various trends in information technology.

Before we lay out where the cleantech openings today are, take a look first and the not-so-bright big picture.

In the third quarter of 2012, the total investment in cleantech fell 20 percent from the same period a year ago, to $56.6 billion, a Bloomberg New Energy Finance report shows. Venture capital investments in cleantech startups for the same period fell to $1.6 billion globally, down 30 percent from $2.23 billion for 2011’s third quarter, the Cleantech Group reports. And, for the first time since 2009, the industrial/energy sector that includes cleantech fell out of favor with angel investors in the first half of this year, according to a University of New Hampshire study.

Venture funding for cleantech companies has always had its share of critics—including Facebook's first backer, Peter Thiel. The prominent venture capitalist says that as an investment, bets on things like solar technology and biofuels take too long to pay off, if they pay off at all, and are too dependent upon government policy, such as subsidies and grants for solar, to reach profitability.

So which cleantech companies are bucking the trend and securing investments? Generally speaking, those that combine elements of information technology, social media, design and big data seem to be doing just fine. Here are a few examples:

The Climate Corporation: Even Thiel is willing to make a bet on this company, which applies big data to the art of long-term weather forecasting and selling such products as crop insurance. Founded by ex-Googlers David Friedberg and Siraj Kaliq as Weatherbill, the company has also drawn backers like Google Ventures and Vinod Khosla's Khosla Ventures.

Clean Power Finance: Founded in 2007 and backed by KPCB and Google Ventures among others, has raised $31.9 million to provide white-label financial products to solar installers, and to make it easier to invest in solar projects and suss out a clear rate of return.

Since coming aboard with Upstart’s parent company, Kent has covered sustainability and business, entrepreneurs, technology, and venture capital. Now, he covers all the ways upstart businesses get their money.

SHARE THIS STORY

Comments

If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.